Travel Wo's Conclusion

So, obviously we have made it here to Colorado. Amber has updated a lot regarding our family, so I will be brief. We started back on the road once again the next day after the truck was repacked and we did an all day shot to the Denver area where we stopped and spent the night at my Uncle Kelley and Aunt Steph's house. We enjoyed games, movies, and time out of the car. We had a great time and are so grateful for family and the help that we received on this trip.

The next morning we made the last stretch to Greeley, CO where our family was to settle in and make our home. We found the apartments and got the keys. The rest of the afternoon we moved, and moved, and moved some more! I recalled a conversation we had with my aunt and uncle about taking it easy when it comes to exercising here because of the high altitude that we are not accustomed with. We all agreed that a few weeks later we would have been here long enough to work out or do physical activities! Well, I didn't even think of the physical activity of moving in! It was my aunt, her sons Clint and Parker (known to my kids as Marker!), and me. We did really well... but when we had moved the last of the stuff in the house... I was done. Nausea, dizziness, and sucking air were the result! I had fallen prey to the low oxygen and was out for the rest of the evening. The rest of the family went to dinner and brought me some food, but I sat that one out.

During the move I received news of 2 airlines that were looking for applicants and I was given a date for an interview. The first company was Colgan Airlines and it was a good experience, but unfortunately i was unprepared for the simulator ride. I did not pass that portion of the interview and was asked to re-apply again in 6 months. The hiring manager was sad and had told me, "...you were a prime candidate we were looking at." I was sad about the result, but have since seen the positive side. I went for an interview with American Eagle and found out that my paperwork had problems, so after 5 minutes I was dismissed. Apparently, they get their info from a website that I had signed up for 2-3 years ago. They had taken my info from that website while I was driving from AZ to CO. When I got here I updated my info, but it was to late. So, it appeared to them that I was trying to cheat the system and was asked to leave. Nothing I could change about that one. It has turned out for the best because Air Traffic Control seems to be the better route for me and my family! I also love every minute of class. Heavenly Father really knows what is best for me, and learning to trust that has been a big test for me in these circumstances. It has been amazing, and we are excited for what the future brings. We want to convey to you all how much we love you and appreciate your support! We miss our good friends and wish you all the best. We hope to see you again soon.

Our Life

OK I know I said I would be better at this but I don't know how you guys find the time. I feel like I have to post pictures which I feel will take too much time. So I have decided to post without pictures especially since I am at work, but hardly working :) Shh don't tell.

Anyway we are doing really good and loving our new life in Colorado! Nate is doing an amazing job in school and daily surprises his instructors at how well he is catching on. He is pretty much amazing. This move has really brought us closer together and I know our life will be forever changed for the better because of it.

My mom and her new husband were able to come for a few days and visit. It was so much fun to have her here. The kids really enjoyed being scared and chased around the house by her. However I don't know how our new apartment living neighbors felt!



The other big change in our life is our sweet little 18 month Jaxton has taught his almost 3 year old sister how to climb out of the crib. Not so funny. Our peaceful, giving them each a baba or a cuppy and putting them in there cribs, is no longer so peaceful. We have moved on to toddler beds since Zoe wasn't as coordinated as Jaxton and received many battle wounds climbing out of the crib. To the extent that the daycare lady was asking about them. We had little convincing to do for her to believe we aren't beating our children. (She is in our ward and actually found it funny.) But our very determined and strong willed child is finding it very hard to stay in his bed. Which is wearing on his mother! I used to love bedtime and nap-time and am now dreading it. But this too shall pass, or so I hear.

The kids are getting so big so fast. Zoe is getting quite the vocabulary. Here are some of my favorites:
"Where is that son of mine".
In front of the whole music class:
teacher: Hi Zoe
Zoe: HI, (with her hands in the air) cause we don't have much money!

At the fabric cutting counter at Wal-Mart with a lady behind us and the lady helping us: Mom are you going to spank my bum?

"Mom, come to my boutique."

"MOM MOM MOM hurry come quit (quick in Zoe's language) rescue me."

"Come on Jaxton lets solve a mystery!"

"I don't wanna take a nap, I wanna be a puppy."

Mom: Zoe come lay down and get your diaper changed
Zoe: say please first

They have a lot of fun together! Our next adventure is the kids and I leave for Minnesota on Monday to visit my sister. The catch is I work Friday, Sat, Sun and get no sleep before the plane ride. It should be interesting.

In my not so spare time I have managed to accomplish some things I am very proud of. My mom helped me make a flannel board when she was here and I have become addicted to finding and tracing all sorts of pictures for the kids. They love it. Our First FHE lesson we did on the family, and they took turns picking out the different people I colored out of their new Halloween buckets, which was the best $1 I think I have spent. They play all day walking around with those buckets putting different toys or whatever they find in there. And of coarse coming up to me and saying trick or treat and I give them a few candy corns. I also put my quiet book I have been working on together. I can't say finish because I have plenty more ideas I want to do. I made it on rings so I can add or take away as I wish. This is my biggest accomplishment. I have wanted to make one of these as my laurel project ever since my first niece was born, and that was 12 years ago!. I think it turned out pretty darn good since when I started this I didn't even know how to tie a knot in the thread, thanks Rachel. I taught myself how to thread and use my sewing machine, with a little help from my mother-in-law. I am so excited to keep adding to it and making Jaxton one of his own. The kids will play with it for the first time on the airplane.

Thank you for reading my rambling! I have to admit I often read your blogs and feel so inspired that I often feel weary of writing on my own. Thanks for all your talents and inspiration to life and motherhood. And most of all your honesty! I hope all is well with you and would love to hear from whoever still checks this thing!

Back to work I go!

Travel Wo's

So, we started our trip to Colorado. Here were the plans! We were to leave Arizona on the 3rd and make it to our hald-way point in Albequerque, NM. We were going to spend the night and then leave the following day and drive to my aunt's house just outside of Denver and spend the night. We were going to finish the drive on the 5th and move in that day. Well, we didn't quite make it to even Albequerque. We were driving through the Indian Reservations on the border of Arizona and New Mexico when we crossed a lightning storm. It just so happened that a lightning bolt struck the hillside right next to our caravan and had appeared to hit the truck! GREAT! Besides being scared out of my mind and not being able to hear, I was ok. We decided to pull over after all the warning lights in the truck came on and see if there was any problem. Of course, it had to be raining like crazy as well. So we pull over and I turn off the truck and turn the key back to the start position when... nothing. GREAT! Again, what a suprise. our truck was 50 miles shy of Albequerque when it decides to die! So, we go through the whole Budget rental claims and long phone calls with the result that an "Act of God" (the lightning) was my fault because they can't control lightning... apparently I can. After 4 1/2 hours on the roadside we got a tow truck out to us to hook up the truck. $435 later... we were on the road to Albequerque once again. We had the truck dropped off at a local Budget repair shop for further inspection and my sweet cousin Rochelle woke up to receive us into their home! They were really sweet and let us stay there 2 days until it was all sorted out. The next day we were able to have the truck assessed and come to find out the transmission was fried! Apparently the "Act of God" was a safety measure for my family and me. We had to stop and count our many blessings after that call. Because it was a fault by Budget, they had a new truck ready and contracted some other men to transport our belongings to the new truck so we could start once again on our trip. To be continued...

The Mariachi Dancer

So, one day I was down stairs cleaning up when I heard this strange noise coming from Amber and my room. I knew that Amber was doing Zoe's hair in the kids bathroom, so wandered up the stairs to see this:
We have a radio clock there on Amber's night stand and apparently it is on the Spanish channel. This is the dawning of the Mariachi Dancer! To be continued... I am pretty sure.

The Summer Wrap Up

Well, what a summer this has been. I remember it being hot, but never this hot before. Our family has been braving the heat with a few escapes to other cities for some fun. We went to California and visited Nate's grandparents and family for a week in late May. We loved spending time with them and just having a fun break from the everyday norm. We skipped over to Disneyland, the happiest place on earth, for a few days fun as a family and loved almost every minute of it. We had some tired children at times, but with a good deal on a hotel room across the road from the entrance, we were able to rest up and hit it again with all smiles. Nate was the only one that had been there before, so it was a treat to see the kids have such a good time. With the crowd control, we had a hard time with 2 children in a stroller, so we fell and bought the child leash for the kids. Turns out they were a big hit. Both kids loved wearing their pack-packs around the park. It allowed them to get out a bit and stretch their legs. After 2 days there, we got some free passes from Nate's cousin's wife and visited the San Diego Zoo. It was fun, for free, and we saw a lot of monkeys... but that seemed to be the main attraction. None the less, the children had a good time. When we got back, we were grateful to be home.


Over Memorial Day weekend, Nate's younger sister Ashley and her husband and cute little girl Sydnie came to visit from Utah. I worked a couple of the nights they were here, but we were able to visit and play. The family got together at Nate's aunt's house for a barbeque for some swimming and food. It was good to see everyone there. Nate and others also got out on the boat and had a good time. Amazingly enough, the Saturday before Memorial Day (Monday) was very empty on the lake, so they enjoyed the piece and quiet.


We had some fun trips with friends as well. We were able to go out on the boat with our friends the Thompsons, and really had a good time. The kids loved the beach and playing in the water. Jaxton had a little bit of a hard time with that big life-vest on and walking in the water. He fell over a couple of times and just layed there in the water floating on his back crying until daddy picked him up. He was a brave little soldier though. The Thompson's little girl Olivia was just as bold and several times we thought that she was going to just crawl right out there into the water! We were also able to go visit their new place, go swimming, and eat really good food with them on another occasion. We love all our friends and wish that we had more time to spend with you all.


As a family, Nate's sister Katie has been so sweet and volunteered to watch the kids once a week to allow us some time "away from it all." We have really enjoyed that, especially with the amount of extra shifts I have been putting in so we can move. She even took the kids on a Saturday night and did a sleepover at her house, letting Nate and I have the night alone at home. It was very quiet! And we were happy to see the clock say 12 noon when we woke up the next day. We will certainly miss that help and kindness. We still have a week or two here in Arizona and are planning on enjoying it as much as we can. And that, is our Summer Wrap Up.

Life Seems so Short!

We are about there. We have a moving truck with trailer and boxes set to move, and the date is now set in stone. We are leaving the great state of Arizona for the unknown world of Colorado. With no friends and family, we peer forward into the future with high hopes for a better life and career that will finally add some order to our chaotic world. We set sail on our adventure this coming August 3rd! We want all our friends and family to know how much we love them and care for them. We will miss you all, and hope that you will pray for us... 'cause we are going to need it.

Update

So as most of you know we didn't move to Colorado yet. Key word Yet. Depending on what classes the school offers over the summer will depend if we go in time to start summer semester or if we go to start in August. Or if our house sells anytime inbetween we will go then. That is the plan as of now but I am sure it is subject to change :) I am now working full time and trying to stay positive about it! Nate just got a contract with his company that will keep him on till April 10th. We are very gratefull for that good news. He will have 3 students which is pretty much full time except they are only paying him hourly instead of salary so as long as he is in the air he is there but when he isn't he is all mine.







Here is a few pictures to share what we have been up to. The end of January we took Zoe to see the Disney Live Rockin Roadshow. Jaxton spent the day with nammie and papa (that is what Zoe calls grandma and grandpa). Zoe had a blast and Minnie Mouse was by far her favorite. She loved singing and dancing along with them.



We also took the kids on their first picnic. It was an adventure. Right when we got there the cops pulled up and some kid was hiding by the dumpster. We don't know what happened but they called the kids Dad and lets just say he wasn't happy. Meanwhile the kids played in the dirt then ate there food with grass stuck to their fingers and I had to take several deep breaths and remind myself that this was supposed to be fun. The kids had so much fun running/crawling in the grass chasing balls. While me and Nate played frisbie. We had a great time.







The last or maybe the first pictures (if i can figure out how to get them on right. I know your laughing at me stop!:) are of the kids new favorite pastime. They empty my pantry and line and stack everything. Jaxton especially likes to climb in the cupboard. And we have become a little closer now that you have seen my bra but it was just way to funny not to post.